Libellés

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

18 June Appeal/Call

In France the 18th of June is a very famous anniversary date that everyone knows about. It celebrates l'appel du 18 Juin (The Appeal - or is more a call? - of 18 June) when, in 1940, Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French Forces, addressed the French people on Radio London to let them know that the war against the Germans was not over and urged everyone to resist the occupation. This is why this famous speech is also often considered to be the origin of the French resistance. Since today is June 18, I thought I would tell you a bit of our history, while showing you this magnificent statue of de Gaulle that I featured several times already (not with this sky in the background though!).

Eric: The photo is quite different than the straight documentary image that would accompany a normal history lesson. Thank you for both!This dramatic angle interperts the heroic status de Gaulle is held by the people of France. The clouds, of course contribute to the content. I like to think, considering the subject of the speech, the clouds represent the many layers of the resistance.

Fabulous sky—and what a great shot of le général, mon capitain! I know de Gaulle is held in high regard, but back in the '60s, among my Parisian friends one of the worst insults you could throw at someone was to call them "un espèce de Gaullist."

There was a portrait of the great "General deGaulle" hanging on the wall in our house when I was growing up after the war. It was with one of Roosevelt and General MacArthur, these were the heroes that my parents held in high esteem. There is a great display of his belongings in the museum at the Invalides. Thanks for the lovely shot and the memories!!